Astrazeneca Plc (AZN) to Issue Dividend of GBP 0.80 on September 8th

Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) announced a dividend on Tuesday, February 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 7th will be paid a dividend of 0.795 per share on Tuesday, September 8th. This represents a dividend yield of 94.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 7th.

Astrazeneca has raised its dividend payment by an average of 0.0%annually over the last three years. Astrazeneca has a dividend payout ratio of 85.3% meaning its dividend is currently covered by earnings, but may not be in the future if the company’s earnings decline. Analysts expect Astrazeneca to earn $11.39 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $4.34 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 38.1%.

Astrazeneca Price Performance

AZN stock opened at $163.83 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $254.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.49, a P/E/G ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 0.26. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $177.81 and its 200 day moving average is $187.53. Astrazeneca has a 52 week low of $145.79 and a 52 week high of $212.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 0.89.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The company reported $2.63 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.50 by $0.13. Astrazeneca had a net margin of 17.02% and a return on equity of 31.45%. The business had revenue of $15.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.44 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.17 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Astrazeneca will post 10.22 earnings per share for the current year.

Astrazeneca News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Astrazeneca this week:

• Positive Sentiment: A senior source told Reuters that there are “no discussions” regarding a potential AstraZeneca-Bristol Myers Squibb deal, effectively quashing the reported megamerger. The clarification reduced perceived acquisition risk for AstraZeneca shareholders. Reuters report on AstraZeneca-Bristol Myers discussions
• Positive Sentiment: Reports said AZN spiked after the denial, as investors reassessed the likelihood that AstraZeneca would commit substantial capital to acquire Bristol Myers Squibb. AZN spikes after merger denial
• Positive Sentiment: Traders bought an unusually high volume of AstraZeneca call options, with reported activity substantially above normal levels, suggesting some market participants were positioning for additional share-price gains or reduced merger uncertainty. AstraZeneca call-option activity
• Neutral Sentiment: AstraZeneca announced a multi-year collaboration with SOPHiA GENETICS to develop and commercialize two companion-diagnostic programs for precision oncology therapies. The agreement supports AstraZeneca’s targeted-treatment pipeline, although financial terms were not disclosed. SOPHiA GENETICS collaboration announcement
• Negative Sentiment: Pomerantz LLP announced an investigation into potential claims on behalf of AstraZeneca investors. The announcement may add headline and litigation uncertainty, though it does not establish wrongdoing by the company. Pomerantz AstraZeneca investor investigation

Astrazeneca Company Profile

AstraZeneca plc is a global biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge, England. Formed through the 1999 merger of Sweden’s Astra AB and the UK’s Zeneca Group, the company researches, develops, manufactures and commercializes prescription medicines across a range of therapeutic areas. AstraZeneca positions itself as R&D-driven, investing in discovery science, clinical development and regulatory processes to bring new therapies to market.

The company’s commercial portfolio and late-stage pipeline emphasize oncology, cardiovascular, renal and metabolic (CVRM) diseases, and respiratory and immunology.